This key provides a means of identifying the genera of Loricariidae except those of the Hypoptopomatinae or the Loricariinae. All loricariids can be entered into this key, but hypoptopomatines and loricariines will terminate at the subfamilial level. Schaefer (1997) provides a key for Hypoptopomatinae, and Burgess (1989) provides keys for Loricariinae (although the key to the Loricariini does not work well).

To go
to the next step in the key, hit the number on the right. To view
information for the genus your search terminates on, click the genus name.
To view a characteristic used in the key for which an illustration is available,
click on "VIEW". Letters after view refer to letters in the illustration.

Ventral
surface of the pectoral girdle covered in skin or plates mesial to the
coracoid strut (coracoid strut may be exposed; plates may cover the pectoral
girdle, but the odontodes are supported by the plates and not the girdle
- VIEW - A&B).

Cheek
plates not evertible (VIEW - A). Nuptial male
with hypertrophied odontodes present along snout (Fig. 6d) and thick flesh
present on posterior process of cleithrum. (The apparent loss of plates
on the snout in these species is actually due to thick flesh covering the
plates and occurs only in nuptial males.).

Body slender and elongate, usually attaining sizes smaller than 120 mm SL (maximum recorded 156.4 mm SL); orbits small (8.6-16.9% of head length); dorsal-fin membrane not or slightly extended posteriorly but never in contact with first preadipose plate; usually five or six infraorbital canal plates.

More than 60 teeth per jaw ramus. Nuchal plate covered by plates and dorsal-fin spinelet covered by skin, both rarely supporting odontodes. No plates on the abdomen. Usually no strong keels on lateral plates [Cordylancistrus
platycephalus develops keels on the plates , but they are not well-developed].

Fewer than 60 teeth per jaw ramus. Nuchal plate and dorsal-fin spinelet exposed, supporting odontodes. Usually with plates on abdomen (plates may develop late ontogenetically); if specimen is large (> 50 mm SL) and has no plates on abdomen, lateral plates have strong keels formed by long, stout, sharp odontodes.

Cheek
plates not evertible (not loosely embedded in connective tissue; firmly
attached to suspensorium), if hypertrophied odontodes are present on cheek,
their supporting plates are fairly immobile (VIEW
- A). Cheek plates covering anteroventral
corner of the opercle do have slight mobility, but can not be held at right
angle to head.

Cheek
plates evertible (loosely embedded in connective tissue, not firmly attached
to suspensorium), usually with hypertrophied odontodes (VIEW
- B). Evertible cheek plates and odontodes
can be held almost at right angle to head.

Patch
of small plates just posterior to pterotic-supracleithrum (VIEW
- B). No patch of hypertrophied odontodes on cheek in adult. Lateral
plates not- or weakly-keeled. Short ridges on pterotic-supracleithrum.

Hypertrophied
odontodes on snout absent in all adults (Fig. 6a-c). Hypertrophied odontodes
on cheek do not fold into a groove underneath opercle (Fig. 34a). Lateral
section of cleithrum not well developed (Fig. 35a).

Hypertrophied
odontodes on snout present in all adults (Fig. 6d). Hypertrophied odontodes
present on cheek that fold into a groove underneath opercle (Fig. 34b).
Lateral section of cleithrum not well developed (Fig. 35b-2).

Frontal
not forming dorsal rim of orbit. Hypertrophied odontodes present on the
lateral plates and caudal-fin spines of nuptial males. White to tan base
color with black spots laterally. Small plates present on entire abdomen
in adults. Distributed west of the Andes in Ecuador.

Frontal
forming dorsal rim of orbit . Hypertrophied odontodes absent on the lateral
plates and caudal-fin spines of nuptial males. Brown or gray base color
with mottling laterally. Small plates on abdomen either absent or sparsely
distributed. Distributed east of the Andes.

Hypertrophied
odontodes on snout present only in nuptial males. If hypertrophied odontodes
present on cheek they are at a right angle to the head and do not fold
into a groove underneath opercle (VIEW).

Distributed west of the Andes
(including the Lago Maracaibo basin). Dark brown ground color. 2+ (usually
3 although two rows may coalesce) rows of plates between suprapreopercle
and exposed portion of opercle (VIEW C).

Distributed
east and west of the Andes. Dark brown or white to tan ground color (those
species to the west of the Andes have a white to tan ground color). 1-2
(usually 1) rows of plates between suprapreopercle and exposed portion
of opercle (VIEW A).

Usually brown with dark spots (one species almost entirely dark brown to gray). Usually only 3 (up to 8) elongated cheek odontodes (present only in adults). 2-3 (usually 3) rows of plates between suprapreopercle and exposed opercle (VIEW - C).
Posterior margin of posterior process of cleithrum straight (VIEW
- A). Distributed solely west of Andes (including Maracaibo basin,
but not the Gulf of Guayaquil drainage or drainages south of the Guayaquil).
Stomach usually large.

Cheek without stronly, anteriorly hooked odontodes. Nuptial males either without hypertrophied odontodes on the snout, thin hypertrophied odontodes all of the way along the snout, or whiskerlike odontodes at the corners of the snout.

Hypertrophied odontodes along edge of snout from evertible odontodes to tip of snout typically present (present on both males and females although much shorter in females; VIEW
- B). Fleshy tentacules associated with odontodes along snout margin
(VIEW). Usually 4 predorsal plates (count includes nuchal plate).

No
whiskerlike odontodes anterior to elongated cheek odontodes (all cheek
odontodes thick). If tentacules present along snout in nuptial male, they
are not longer than their associated odontodes (VIEW
B-C).